Money Box scoops top award

Money Box was praised as being tough, enquiring but fair

BBC Radio 4's Money Box has been named Financial Programme of the Year at a prestigious ceremony in London.

Money Box Presenter Paul Lewis collected the award at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) event on Wednesday.

Other nominees in the Financial Programme or Broadcaster of the Year category were the BBC's Andrew Verity and Declan Curry.

The BBC News Website's Your Money section also triumphed, winning the Best Financial Website category.

The awards are designed to "celebrate excellence in journalism", and are now in their tenth year.

Money Box was commended by the judges as "tough, enquiring, but fair".

Lifetime achievement

The ABI is the trade association for Britain's insurance industry.

Award winners were chosen by the communication and press teams of the ABI's 400 member companies.

The ABI said the factors taken into account were accuracy, knowledge of issues, ability to inform and educate, and receptiveness to story ideas.

Other winners at the event included the Financial Times which scooped the Personal Finance Newspaper of the Year award.

The Daily Telegraph scored a double success. Ian Cowie was voted Personal Finance Editor of the Year, with Alison Steed named Personal Finance Journalist of the Year.

The Lifetime Achievement in Financial Journalism award went to William Kay, Sunday Times.

The event was hosted by Ian Hislop and attended by 450 representatives from the financial services industry and financial media.

BBC Radio 4's Money Box is broadcast on Saturdays at 1204 BST and on Mondays at 1502 BST.